Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer credited with opening up the Americas to European colonization, died on May 20, 1506, in Valladolid, Spain. Though his voyages were marred by controversies, including his treatment of native populations, his expeditions across the Atlantic are pivotal in the context of global history, fundamentally altering the course of world events and initiating widespread European exploration and colonization of the Western Hemisphere. Columbus’s legacy is deeply complex, embodying both significant navigational achievements and the harsh realities of colonialism.
